Senate Bill No. 895
               Senate Bill No. 895

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-32


AN ACT CONCERNING  THE DEFINITION OF SHELLFISH AND
THE REGULATION OF  NON-NATIVE  AQUATIC  PLANTS AND
ANIMALS.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1. Section  26-192i  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed   and   the   following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    When  used in  sections  26-192c  to  26-192h,
inclusive,  the term  "shellfish"  means  mussels,
oysters, [and] all  varieties  of  clams AND WHOLE
AND ROE-ON SCALLOPS, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE SCALLOPS
IF  THE FINAL  PRODUCT  IS  THE  SHUCKED  ADDUCTOR
MUSCLE ONLY.
    Sec. 2. Section 22-11f of the general statutes
is repealed and  the  following  is substituted in
lieu thereof:
    The   Department   of    Agriculture,    after
consultation with the  Department of Environmental
Protection, shall adopt regulations, in accordance
with the provisions  of chapter 54, concerning the
licensing of aquaculture facilities and operations
other than any  such  facilities  or operations of
the Department of  Environmental  Protection. Such
regulations shall ESTABLISH  A  PROGRAM TO CONTROL
THE IMPORTATION, CULTIVATION OR RAISING OF AQUATIC
PLANTS OR ANIMALS  WHICH  ARE  NOT  NATIVE TO THIS
STATE. SUCH REGULATIONS SHALL ENSURE THAT ANY SUCH
IMPORTATION  OR CULTIVATION  SHALL  NOT  ADVERSELY
CONTAMINATE OR IMPACT  NATIVE  AQUATIC  PLANTS  OR
ANIMALS  OR  THEIR   NATURAL  HABITATS  AND  SHALL
FURTHER provide that  aquaculture operations shall
not adversely contaminate or impact wild stocks of
aquatic  plants  and   animals  or  their  natural
habitats and shall  include  measures  to identify
products of aquaculture operations. Aquatic plants
and animals held  at inland aquaculture facilities
shall  be  exempt   from   laws   and  regulations
pertaining  to wild  stocks,  including,  but  not
limited to, chapter 495.

Approved May 6, 1997